Daphne's First Opera
by Kristen3
Summary: When Niles is left with an opera ticket Frasier can't use, he invites Daphne. Will an onstage romance lead to the real thing for these two?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**Usual disclaimer, blah, blah. Many thanks to Leigh Ann (leighann415) and Sydney (Sydney3) for their feedback/encouragement as I wrote this. :) Also thanks to Andrea (iloveromanice) for writing so many melt-worthy N/D stories which helped "inspire" certain elements in this one! Enjoy!

Frasier answered a knock at the door to find his younger brother standing there, with a pair of tickets in his hand. "Ah, just the man I wanted to see!" Niles said. "I have two tickets for the opera tomorrow night, and I just dropped by to see if you wanted to go."

Frasier looked at the tickets and shook his head. "I'd love to go, but I'm afraid I can't. Roz and I have to go a broadcasting conference tomorrow. Kenny insists that we be there."

Niles sighed, slightly disappointed. He had been looking forward to going out to the opera with his brother. It might not qualify as typical "male bonding," but it was something both Crane brothers enjoyed doing together.

Just then, Daphne walked in front door, carrying a load of laundry. Niles immediately smiled at the sight of her. "Let me help you with that," he said, reaching for the basket.

"I can manage it, Dr. Crane," Daphne replied. "I appreciate the offer, though." She smiled back at him. He was always doing things like this, offering to help her with her chores, or asking how her day was.

"Say, Daphne, are you free tomorrow night?" Niles asked. He had asked the question without even considering the consequences. He had mentally rehearsed a dozen different ways he could ask Daphne for a date. None of them ever included blurting the question out while she was folding his father's underwear!

Daphne nodded. "Why do you ask?" She wondered what Dr. Crane could want to know about her plans. It wasn't like him to invite her to anything.

"N-no reason," Niles stammered. "It's just that I have these two tickets for the opera tomorrow, and Frasier can't go. If...you're not interested, I understand. But I'd really hate to see this ticket go to waste. I've heard it's quite good," he added.

Daphne hardly knew what to say. Dr. Crane was inviting her to the _opera_? It wasn't exactly her idea of a good time, and she couldn't believe he would rather go with her than with someone else. He had to know women who would feel more at home at an opera house.

"Niles, may I see you in the kitchen?" Frasier asked. He wondered what his brother could possibly be thinking, asking Daphne out on a date! And to the opera, no less! He knew Niles was rather infatuated with his father's healthcare worker, but this was simply not a good idea. The poor woman was speechless. Frasier was sure Niles was making a complete fool of himself here.

Niles' heart raced as he waited for Daphne's answer. It seemed like an eternity had passed since he'd first asked the question. Reluctantly he turned his attention to Frasier. "Can't it wait?" he asked. Niles was not sure he could live another minute without hearing Daphne's answer.

"No, Niles. It can't," Frasier replied sternly. He walked into the kitchen.

Niles reluctantly followed his brother, leaving a very confused Daphne alone with her laundry.

"What are you doing?" Niles asked as soon as he was in the kitchen. "I was just about to-"

"Make a fool of yourself?" Frasier finished. "I just don't think this is a good idea."

"Well, even if I agreed with you, which I _don't_, what can I do now?" Niles asked. "It's not like I can un-invite her!"

Frasier sighed. His brother had a point. There was no way out now. He walked back out into the living room.

Niles followed, eager to hear Daphne's answer. For a moment, he was speechless, just watching as she folded the laundry. Even while doing a simple household chore, she was radiant.

Daphne hadn't been able to hear the conversation in the kitchen, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that they had been talking about her. "Is...everything all right?" she asked with a nervous laugh.

"Yes," Niles replied. "Frasier just had something he wanted to say to me, but we're done talking." He paused, now almost too nervous to even think straight. Finally, he blurted out, "So...would you like to go with me?"

Daphne was speechless for a moment. She briefly considered letting him down gently, but something about his shyness seemed almost endearing. "All right," she replied. "But what does one wear to the opera?" Daphne doubted she owned anything appropriate, and she wasn't sure she could afford to buy a new dress.

Niles grinned, thrilled that Daphne had accepted his invitation. "I'm sure anything you wore would be just fine."

For the rest of the day, Niles found it difficult to concentrate. He had finally managed to ask Daphne out, and she'd said yes! From the first moment he laid eyes on her, he knew that she was an angel, and the chance to spend an evening together away from his father and brother seemed like a dream come true.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Daphne began preparing breakfast for herself and Martin. Frasier had already left for his all-day broadcasting conference. "We're going to have to get your exercises done a bit earlier than usual this afternoon," Daphne said. She hoped that letting him know now would help avoid an argument later when he inevitably refused to do them.

"How come?" Martin asked. Daphne seemed to be in a hurry today for some reason. And she seemed to be a bit nervous, but Martin couldn't figure out why.

"Well...I'm going to the opera tonight with Dr. Crane," Daphne explained. "He asked me just yesterday while you were out at McGinty's."

"Oh," Martin replied, not knowing what to make of this. Well, at least it explained Daphne's behavior.

"So if I'm going to have time to get meself all ready, I can't spend all afternoon arguing with you, now can I?" Daphne asked with a smile.

"No, I guess you can't," Martin replied. He couldn't help being proud of his younger son. He'd finally managed to ask Daphne out! He didn't know if Niles and Daphne would have a future together or not, but Daphne _had_ to be a better match for him than Maris was!

As the day went on, Martin noticed that Daphne seemed more and more distracted. After their daily walk with Eddie, they made their usual stop at Nervosa before returning home. Martin didn't know what to think when she allowed him to order two cookies without even saying a word! Ordinarily, even _mentioning_ one of Nervosa's many baked treats would lead to a stern lecture from Daphne that was sure to last at least five minutes. Yes, Daphne's mind was definitely elsewhere, and he could hardly believe Niles was the cause of it!

As soon as Daphne had finished with Mr. Crane's exercises, she rushed off to her room to begin getting ready for the opera. Even though she owned several dresses, none of them seemed appropriate for such a formal occasion. Daphne let out a frustrated sigh. If this invitation hadn't been so last-minute, she might have been able to enlist Roz's aid. _Maybe it's just as well_, Daphne thought. She could only imagine what Roz would've made of the idea of Daphne agreeing to go to a stuffy opera. Thanks to the broadcasting conference, Daphne would not be able to hear Roz's reaction until after the fact.

After going through her entire closet for the third time, Daphne was at her wits' end. At the rate she was going, she'd never be ready in time. The younger Dr. Crane was always adamant about punctuality, especially when it came to theatrical events. Daphne had heard him complain countless times about someone squeezing into an opera box at the last minute. The last thing she wanted to do was make him late for something he was obviously looking forward to.

Finally, out of sheer desperation, Daphne picked up three of the dresses on her bed. She wasn't sure she liked any of them, but time was running short. She needed someone else's opinion, and fast. She marched out in to the living room, where Mr. Crane was watching a ballgame on TV.

"Aren't you dressed yet?" Martin asked when he saw her. "You know how Niles gets when somebody comes late to these things." He rolled his eyes, unable to understand why anyone would ever want to go the opera, on time or not!

"I know!" Daphne replied, unable to hide her annoyance. "It's almost time, and I haven't a bloody thing to wear!"

"What about those dresses?" Martin asked.

"I can't decide which one to wear. " Daphne sighed, growing more frustrated by the second. "These are the three best dresses I've got in me closet. But they're all wrong!"

Martin smiled at her, knowing she was dangerously close to snapping. "Don't worry. I'm sure Niles will love anything you wear."

The thought immediately made Daphne smile. Dr. Crane always did seem to notice her outfit. But still she wasn't sure.

Just at that moment, the doorbell rang.


	3. Chapter 3

Martin saw that Daphne's panic reached new levels as soon as she heard the sound. "I'll go let him in," he said. "You go get dressed."

Daphne nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Crane!" She took off for her room as quickly as she could.

"Hold on, son," Martin said as he made his way to the door. When he opened it, he saw Niles standing there, dressed to the nines. He was wearing a black tuxedo, and looking more than a little nervous.

"Is Daphne ready?" Niles asked, noticing that she wasn't in the living room as he'd expected.

"Not yet," Martin replied. He saw Niles begin to fidget, clearly panicking over the prospect of being late. "She knows how important this is to you, so she wanted to make sure she looked OK. I'm sure she'll be here any-"

Niles abruptly stopped listening to his father, for he was seeing the most incredible vision. Daphne had just entered the living room, wearing a black dress that seemed tailor made for her. "Daphne..." Niles began, but found that he could hardly breathe, much less speak, at the sight of her.

Daphne smiled. There was no way she could be worthy of such a reaction. She'd barely had time to throw the dress on and fix her hair. But even so, the compliment touched her.

"Well...shall we go?" Niles asked, offering her his arm. He was amazed that she could hear him over the sound of his heart. But she must have, because she slipped her arm into his.

Martin watched the two walk toward the door, and could not help remembering the last time he'd seen them go off together like this. "You kids have fun," he said. "But remember, Niles, she's got work in the morning. You better bring her back safe and sound right after!" He winked in his son's direction, just in case there was any doubt he was teasing.

Daphne laughed, turning around to him. "I don't think you need to worry, Mr. Crane. I'm sure your son wouldn't let anything happen to me!"

Niles nearly fainted at hearing her words. Some logical part of his mind knew she was merely responding to his father's attempt at humor. _Still, _he thought. _She trusts me_. The thought made him feel as if he were ten feet off the ground.

Niles said little as they drove to the opera house. It took all his strength to keep his eyes, and his mind, on the road. All the while, his heart beat wildly out of control. When he finally parked at the curb in front of the famous building, he quickly climbed out of the car and handed the keys to the valet. Then he walked around to the passenger's side and opened the door. He did not miss the surprise on Daphne's face when he offered his hand to help her out of the vehicle.

Daphne took his hand. She couldn't remember the last time a man had offered to help her out of the car. As she stood, she caught her first glimpse of the immense building in front of them. "Oh...," she breathed, hardly able to believe a building like this could exist right in Seattle.

"Yes, it's breathtaking," Niles murmured, not certain if he was referring to their surroundings or Daphne herself. He showed his ticket at the door, and they walked into the lobby.

"It's even more amazing inside!" Daphne exclaimed, looking at all the exquisite marble that covered every surface.

Niles could barely take his eyes off her to see what she was admiring. Was it possible she'd managed to make herself _more _beautiful? And seeing her enthusiasm over a place that he'd been to countless times with Frasier was something he didn't think he could ever get enough of.

"Dr. Crane?" Daphne asked, noticing that he seemed to be a million miles away. "Should we go take our seats now? I know how you hate to miss the beginning."

"Oh...right," Niles said with a nervous laugh as they began to walk. "You know...you don't have to call me 'Dr. Crane' tonight, if you don't want to."

Daphne looked at him, slightly confused. "What else would I call you?"

"Niles," he replied.

"Oh, right," Daphne said with a smile. "Just like the Snow Ball."

"Yes, just like the Snow Ball," Niles replied as they walked into his box. He was dismayed to see that there were several people also sharing the box. When they turned around to see who was coming in, Niles realized something even worse: every one of their fellow opera-goers was a close friend of Maris'. They all clearly recognized Daphne from the ball, where she and Niles had caused a huge scene in front of many of Seattle's wealthiest citizens.

Niles didn't know what to do or say. He hadn't even considered the possibility of running into any of Maris' so-called friends here. Luckily, these snobs would never dare to say something rude, at least not to Daphne's face. And, if Daphne was at all thrown by this twist of fate, she wasn't showing it in the least. She simply smiled and said hello, as if she'd been around people like this her entire life.

As he and Daphne sat, Niles whispered, "You handled that beautifully!"

Daphne smiled. "I'm glad. I'd hate to embarrass you in front of your friends," she whispered back.

Niles' heart skipped a beat. "Daphne, you could never-" But, just at that moment, the curtain went up, causing Daphne to gasp in amazement once again.

For the next hour Niles and Daphne were transported to Verona, Italy. The opera was based on Shakespeare's famous tragedy, _Romeo and Juliet_. As soon as intermission was called, Niles looked over at Daphne, eager to ask if she had enjoyed the show so far. To his surprise, he caught her wiping her eyes with a tissue from her purse.

"What's wrong?" he asked, reaching out to console her.

"It's just the story...Romeo and Juliet," Daphne sniffled. "I guess I should've thought to ask you what we were seeing. This story always makes me cry."

Niles put his arm around her. It had never occurred to him that Daphne might react this way. He could only hold her while she continued to sob.

"I'm sorry for making such a scene," Daphne said. "I just keep thinking...Romeo loved Juliet so much he died because he couldn't live without her! I can't imagine what it would be like to have someone love me that way."

Niles hardly knew what to say. "It-it's possible," he finally stammered. "Men like that are rare, but I like to think we're not completely extinct."

Daphne looked up at him. "What a lovely thing to say," she said, kissing his cheek.

"Why, thank you, Daphne," Niles said, feeling his cheek burn.

"But still," she continued. "Romeo took one look at Juliet, and he just _knew_." She sighed. "I guess that sort of thing doesn't happen anymore."

Niles felt dizzy, and his heart began to race. Did he dare speak his mind? "Daphne, I -" he began. But before he could even begin to think what to say next, the lights flickered, signaling the end of intermission.


	4. Chapter 4

The opera resumed. When Romeo and Juliet's inevitable deaths finally happened on stage, Daphne began a fresh round of tears. Niles silently reached over and grabbed her hand, desperate to console her. Through her tears, Daphne smiled at him. "I know it's silly of me to be crying at this. I mean, it's just a story, right?"

"Well," Niles began. "I think this is what theater is supposed to do, if it's any good. Make you feel something."

"Thank you," Daphne said, squeezing his hand. "I know it might not seem like it, but I really did have a lovely time."

"It was my pleasure," Niles replied. "Would you mind if we walked around awhile before we picked up the car?"

"All right," Daphne said. Without thinking, she slipped her hand into his. The gesture caused Niles to gasp immediately.

They walked out of the opera house and on to the sidewalk. The parking lot was crowded as people began fighting one another to exit. But Niles managed to lead Daphne away from the stampede to a quieter part of the street. He then stopped walking and faced her. "I'm glad you had such a good time tonight," he said.

"I can't thank you enough for inviting me," Daphne replied. "It certainly was a nice change from spending the evening with your father." She laughed.

"I thought you'd enjoy a night out." Niles took a deep breath. "Daphne, there's something I have to tell you." He said the words quickly, not giving himself a chance to back out.

"What is it, Dr. Crane?" Daphne asked, noticing for the first time the way his eyes seemed to shine in the moonlight.

"Remember what you were saying in the theater? About how you wished a man would love you like Romeo loved Juliet?" Niles could hardly believe what he was hearing himself say.

Daphne nodded, wondering what this could be about. Now that she thought about it, she really had been a bit silly, overreacting to the play as she had.

"And about how love at first sight never happens in real life?" Niles continued. "It _does _exist. I know it does, because it happened to me once."

Suddenly Daphne's heart skipped a beat. "What?" she asked, although she already knew what he was going to say.

"It happened the first time I saw you," Niles said, as he gently touched her cheek.

Daphne was speechless. "Dr. Crane, I-" she began. Whatever she had been planning to say completely went out of her head. Suddenly, he was kissing her. When they finally separated, Daphne found herself feeling breathless. Unable to speak, she wrapped her arms around him. "That was wonderful," Daphne said when she finally found her voice.

Niles kissed her again. "Thank you," he said.

"For what?" Daphne asked. "I should be thanking you. This whole evening has been perfect."

Niles pulled her even closer. "Yes," he replied. "It certainly has."

**The End**


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